Djokovic: 'I have tremendous respect for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal'

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in three sets to clinch his ninth Australian Open title (third in a row). The world number 1, who had to deal with an abdominal injury during the tournament, reaffirmed his special connection with the Rod Laver Arena by posting the 18th Grand Slam of his amazing career. The 33-year-old Serbian is also already certain to break Roger Federer's record by weeks at the top of the ATP ranking, further testament to the immense value of this player. Numerous fans and insiders were disappointed with the performance of Medvedev, who was considered the favorite on the eve of the last act. Obviously, the change of gaze has not yet taken place, if we consider that Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have won 10 of the last 11 Slams played (without Nole's disqualification at the US Open 2020 it would have been likely the en plein). In the post-match press conference, the Belgrade veteran illustrated what differentiates the Big 3 from the Next Gen on the launch pad.

Novak Djokovic on the Big 3's era

"I don't source my motivation from there," Novak Djokovic said. "They're all going through the hardship and the tough hours on the court, off the court, to be able to play at the highest level of tennis. So I have tremendous respect for anybody that is in the tennis shoes and competing at this level. They're very close to start winning Major titles more consistently," he added. "But Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, myself are still there for a reason. We don't want to hand it to them and we don't want to allow them to win Slams. I think that's something that is very clear. Whether you communicate that message or not, we are definitely sending that vibe out there." Former Grand Slam champion and Novak Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic is in awe of how the ‘Big Three’ continue to lord over men’s tennis in spite of the emergence of the next lot of superstars. In an interview after guiding the Serb to an unprecedented ninth Australian Open title on Sunday, the legend said that he was amazed at how the ‘Big Three’ – the combined nickname for Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer – keep coming up with amazing performances in “big matches” even in the twilight of their careers. Federer and Nadal and are currently tied at 20 Grand Slam titles apiece, which is the highest in the men’s game.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3uz9l5x